Lakeport native had crucial role in World War II Albania

Saturday

Jun 30, 2007 at 3:15 AM

By Warren D. Huse

LACONIA — President George W. Bush's recent triumphal visit to Albania brings to mind an Albanian family who lived here in the early years of the 20th century and whose son played an important role in the liberation of Albania during World War II.

Citizen staff writer John Koziol reviewed a new book about "The OSS in World War II Albania" in the Sunday Citizen of June 3. One of author Peter Lucas' nine chapters is devoted to Tom Stefan, a member of the class of 1936 at Laconia High School, who, as an Army captain, went on to become chief of the OSS mission to World War II Albania. Moreover, Stefan figures importantly in the other chapters as well.

Eftim and Emma Stefan had arrived in Lakeport from southern Albania — near the Greek border — sometime prior to 1916 after a brief stay in Massachusetts. Their first child, a son, was born here in 1917 and was named Thomas Eftim Stefan. Three daughters — Ethel, Dorothy and Mary — followed.

The elder Stefans established a fruit store at 744 Union Avenue (in the building today occupied by g-spot music and clothing). By 1925, they had moved to 610 Union Ave., which was a very large apartment building with a grocery store at the front. Eftim was identified in city directories as a grocer until 1936, when he was listed as a truck driver.

In 1939, Emma was listed as proprietor of the store and widow of Eftim. By 1941, only Thomas was listed, with the notation, "employed Boston, Mass," and none of the Stefans were listed in the 1942 directory.

Meanwhile, even though Tom Stefan was apparently well assimilated into American and Laconia culture — he was a four-year member of the National Honor Society at Laconia High School and active in student athletics — he remained fluent in the Tosk dialect of Albanian, which turned out to be crucial to his success in the Office of Strategic Services.

Enver Hoxha, leader of the Albanian partisans fighting against German and Italian forces which had invaded the country, was also a Tosk speaker. Hoxha — who continued as dictator of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985 — developed a good relationship with Stefan.

When Tirana, the capital, was liberated in 1944, Stefan was "front and center with Hoxha in the reviewing stand."

After the war, Stefan hoped for a career in the State Department. However, that did not happen and he worked for a while at the Veterans Administration. Eventually, unemployed, he collapsed on a street in Los Angeles and died at age 42 in 1959.

He is buried here in Laconia, in Union Cemetery.

Stefan is pictured on the cover of Lucas' book, along with Hoxha and Dr. Omer Nishani, 1944 minister of foreign affairs.

"The OSS in World War II Albania: Covert Operations and Collaboration with Communist Partisans," by Peter Lucas, is published by McFarland & Co., Inc., Jefferson, N.C. and London. Publication date is 2007.